Fibre for Fodmappers

So what happened when a dietitian, a nutritionist and an IBS researcher walked into a bar?

You bet they talked a lot of poop!

Here’s the recording of the webinar “Fibre for Fodmappers: building better bowels in IBS” featuring Ele Stojanoska (Dietetic Gut Clinic), Shaynie Ashkenazi (Fodshop) and Dr Josephine Muir (Noisy Guts).

If you didn’t catch it live or don’t have time to listen to it in its entirety, here are three key highlights.

Highlight #1: Not all fibres are the same or do the same thing

The webinar was motivated by the fact that less than a third of Aussies eat the recommended daily fibre intake.

Dietary fibre is critical for digestive regularity and reducing chronic disease risk. But for those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, upping fibre isn’t straight forward. And that’s because not all fibres are the same.

Fibres have different properties and functions, varying by viscosity, solubility and fermentation. Take a listen to Ele explain the different functional characteristics of fibre here (starts at 5.48 mins).

Highlight #2: Comparison of different fibre supplements

So what are the best ways to increase fibre if you’re following a low fodmap diet? Eating a range of low fodmap grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans. The best resource for checking the amount of fodmaps in food is the Monash University app. No, it’s not a free resource but it’s a one-off payment and it’s invaluable to fodmappers.

Two well researched fibres that made repeat appearances throughout the webinar because of their ability to reduce IBS symptoms were psyllium husk and partially hydrolysed guar gum. You can hear Shaynie explain more about these fibre supplements here (starts at 33.06 mins).

If you’re looking for a product that contains both psyllium and partially hydrolysed guar gum, take a look at Superflora – a gut health shake specifically designed for IBS (and it’s certified low fodmap by Monash University).

Highlight #3: How to do a poop challenge!

Frustratingly, there isn’t a cure for IBS, yet. But personalised fibre therapy can help you manage IBS symptoms.

Keeping a record of your poop over a 2-week period will provide you and your fodmap-trained dietitian a benchmark to work from. If you want to do your own poop challenge, listen to Josephine explain how to use the Bristol Stool index (starts at 45.57 mins). It’s not as complex as it sounds. It’s as easy as keeping a daily record of your poop type. Does your poop look like maltezers, a picnic bar or melted chocolate?

And that’s a wrap!

Learn anything new? I’d love to find out what your key take-away from the webinar was. And please let me know if you have any questions. You can email me at josephine@noisyguts.net And if I can’t help, I can pass your question along to Ele or Shaynie.